Island



2 Sheets-Sheet -1.

Patented 0015.28, 18 90.

56W 12 fiywmm 2%?- G. s. S LOGUM. 7 AUTOMATIC WIRE FINDER FOR TROLLEY HEADS.

(No Model.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

s. SLOOUM.

A'UTOMATIG WIRE FINDER FOB. TROLLEYY HEADS,

No. 439,308. Patented Oct. 28,1890.

6 20199 A. ,diwzma,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. SLOCUM, OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.

AUTOMATIC WIRE-FINDER FOR TROLLEY-HEADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,308, dated October 28, 1890.

Application filed June 2, 1890. Serial No. 353,978. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. SLocUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport, in the county of Newport and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Wire- Finders for Trolley-Heads and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in trolley-carriers such as are now employed in overhead electric-railway systems, whereby a freely-revolving trolley-wheel is held in contact with the trolley-wire conveying the current of electricity supplied to the system, and is adapted to transmit such current to the motor.

Much difficulty hitherto has been encountered in returning the wheel to the wire if said wheel for any cause whatsoever is removed from its contact therewith.

The object of my improvements is to provide the upper end of the trolley-carrier with a finder which shall be automatically and electrically operated at the instant the wheel leaves the wire. Said finder is composed of two spreading fingers or arms, which extend forward in the direction of the travel of the car on either side of the trolley-wire. Further, these arms serve to engage or receive the wire when the Wheel is 01f the latter, and by contact therewith form a loop or shunt circuit from said wire. This circuit conveys a current through an electro-magnet and operates an armature, which is moved to cause the finder to assume a vertical position. The wire is thus supported between them, and such upright position of the finder continues until the wheel again is placed in contact with its wire. \Vhen this occurs, the shuntcircuit is interrupted and the finder again assumes its normal position, nearly horizontal and now inactive.

1' Other minor featuressuch as providing for movement of the finder should the latter strike a transverse supporting-wire will be fully hereinafter explained.

The drawings represent in Figure 1 a side elevation of an electric car in part, provided with a trolley-carrier and with an automatic finder embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view in elevation of the carrier-head, with the finder. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the same. Fig. 4is a transverse vertical section. Fig. 5 shows the spring employed when the finder is in its reversed position. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the finder and trolley, as likewise the electro-magnet. Fig. 7 is a front view of said magnet.

In said drawings, 2 represents the trolleycarrier as a tubular arm centrally provided with the usual copper conductor 3, extending its entire length. The upper end of this carrier is furnished with a forked head 4, in which is mounted a loose grooved wheel 5, termed the trolley, and which has rolling contact with the wire 6. Loosely pivoted to the trolley-head is the finder 7, composed of two divergent arms 8 8. The latter are provided with lips or guards 9 9, adjacent to the periphery of the wheel to insure passage of the wire 011 or off the wheel without danger of its dropping between said wheel and the forked head. Furthermore, said finder is insulated from the trolley shaft and wheel.

The mechanism for automatically and electrically operating said finder consists as follows: Pivotally attached to the foot of each finder-arm 8, which in the present instance are mounted independently upon the forked head 4, is a stirrup -10. The latter are connected by a transverse rod, from which extends a small shaft or rod 13. This rod is located, preferably, within the trolley-carrier and extends to the bottom of said carrier, where it is fitted with a coiled spring 15. The rod 13 is pivotally connected with the free end of a lever 16, mounted in a water-tight casing 28, located at the foot of the trolleyarm. (See Fig. 1.) Within said casing is placed an electro-magnet 17, operating in connection with a fixed plate or armature 18. One end of the coil composing the magnet has metallic connection with the shaft 13, the other is united with the conductor. (See Fig. 6.) The magnet is adapted to reciprocate, and is held in position upon the casing by the bolts 19, movable in the slots 20. Alink 14 serves to connect the lever 16 with the magnet-frame.

The fulcrum-point of the lever 16 is in the bracket 24, secured to the casing, while the spring 15, bearing against said bracket, holds the arms 8 of the finder in their normal horizontal position, and likewise serves to return the electro-magnet to place as soon as the shunt-circuit is interrupted by restoration of the wire 6 within the groove in the trolleywheel.

By the arrangement and above description of said instrumentalities it will be seen that their manner of operation is as follows: Should the trolley-Wheel now in contact with the wire leave the latter, the parts prior to such act being in the relative positions shown in Fig. 6, the moment the wheel leaves the wire the latter strikes upon one of the guards 9 or upon one of the arms proper of said finder. As a consequence, a shunt or loop circuit is established from the trolley-wire 6 by way of one of the finder-arms, the shaft 13, and electromagnets to the conductor 3. The electromagnet is thereby energized, and is impelled toward the fixed plate or armature 18. This produces rocking of the lever 16 and endwise movement of the rod 13, while the finder swings so that the arms are raised upward not only to retain the trolley-wire between them, but to direct it again upon the trolleywheel. The position of the finder now remains fixed with the arms upraised on either side of the wire so long as the trolley-Wire is in contact with either of said finder-arms. WVhen the trolley-wheel is again replaced'upon the wire, the shunt-circuit is interrupted and the attraction between the magnet and armature ceases, while the spring 15, coiled about the shaft 13, and bearing against the bracket 24, acts against the finder to compel the latter to return to its inactive position.

At times it may happen that the finder will be upraised at the moment of passing one of the transverse supporting-wires. To allow it to yield and be bent down, so as not to offer any resistance, I have arranged the several parts to operate as follows: The shaft 13 is provided, as before mentioned, with a coiled spring 15, while upon the said shaft are adjustably secured two collars 21 23, the former to limit the throw of the shaft in one direction and to bear against the free end of the lever 16, the other23 to regulate the tension of thespring, one end of which bears against the bracket 24, secured to the casing. I-Ience, assuming that the finder is upraised, when passing a supporting-wire it is forced backward in direction as indicated by arrow 2, the spring 15 is thereby compressed, while as the arms of the finder are forced back the extremities of the guards come into contact with the free ends of coiled springs 25. The latter are secured about the trolley-wheel shaft, one end entering said shaft, the other and free end projecting outwardly a distance suffici'ent to engage with the rear part of the guards. Thus, as before premised, when a cross-wire forces the finder-arms rearwardly the guards engage the ends of the springs 25,whose tension is increased in proportion to the backward movement of said finder, and energy is stored sufficient to return the finder to its normal position as soon as said cross-wire has slipped past. When the finder has thus been returned to place, the spring 15 again assumes control of said finder while the springs 25 are inactive. I

What I claim is 1. In combination with a trolley-carrier, a finder pivoted thereto, and means for causing said finder to rock by the making or breaking of an electric current through contact of the trolley-wire and finder, substantially as described.

2; The combination, with a trolley-carrier and the wheel revolving thereupon, of a pivotal finder secured to the carrier-head and insulated therefrom, a fixed armature, a movable electro-magnet, and metallic connections from said magnet to the finder, all operating substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric overhead system, the combination, with a trolley-wire, a trolley-carrier, and a finder insulated therefrom, of an electro-magnet, an armature, and metallic interconnecting parts between said magnet and the finder, whereby upon contact of the finder and trolley-wire a loop-circuit is established to cause the finder to rock, substantially as specified.

4E. The combination, with a trolley-carrier, a trolley-wheel thereon, and a rocking finder insulated therefrom having spreading arms, of a stirrup attached to the pivoted end of said finder, the movable electro-magnet, the stationary armature, the lever 16, and springactuated shaft 14, substantially as herein described and stated.

5. In electric overhead systems provided with a trolley-wire, a trolley-carrier, and a trolley-wheel in the head of said carrier, a finder 7, having outwardly-extending arms with inwardly-projecting guards 9 9 thereupon and pivoted on said head, from which it is insulated, combined with a fixed armature, the movable electro-magnet, and interconnecting parts between said finder and the magnet, comprising a stirrup, a lever, and a spring-actuated shaft, substantially as herein stated and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE S. SLOOUM.

\Vitnesses:

H. E. LODGE, FRANCIS C. STANwooD. 

